William e



(No Model.)

W. THOMAS. ENVELOPE.

No. 454,237;- Patented June 16,1891.

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Z W/ M52156. I 9 5 IAN/ {701? UNITEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. THOMAS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AMERICAN SAFETY ENVELOPE COM- PANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 454,237, dated June 16, 1891.

Application filed September 30, 1890- Serial No. 366,613. (No model.)

.To wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelopes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in envelopes, and more especially to that class of such articles as are used by the United States Post-Office Department in forwarding registered letters and packages, the object of the invention being to secure an article of the character named which will be simple in construction, which can be manufactured at low price, and which cannot be opened without being mutilated.

To the accomplishment of the above the invention consists in an envelope constructed as will be hereinafter more fully described and specifically claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the blank from which the envelope is to be formed; Fig. 2, a view in elevation showing the envelope in the process of being sealed. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, showing the envelope completely sealed; and Fig. 4 is a detail of the modified form of the tongue.

The envelope consists of a main or body part 1, which is provided at its lower end with a flap 2 and at its upper end with asealing-flap 3. At each side of this main portion 1 is provided a flap 4. The arrangement of the parts thus described is such that to form the envelope the flaps at are first folded over the main body of the envelope and suitably secured to each other by suitable gum, and the flap 2 is then folded upon the same and secured thereto by gum.

Each flap 4 is provided with an extension 5, each of which is arranged to fold back upon its flap, and each of which is provided with a further extension 6, arranged to fold upon each extension 5 and upon the sealing-flap 3 when the envelope is folded, each extension 6 being gummed on the one side and each extension 5 being gummed on the reverse side. One extension 5 is provided with a slot or cut-away portion 7 to enable the parts to be brought closely together when folded. A flap or wing 8 is stamped out of each extension 5 and provided with a suitable gummed surface, by means of which it is secured to the flap 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The edges of the flap 2 are preferably serrated, as are the edges of the wings 8 and the adjacent edges of the extensions 6, the object of such serrations being the addition of means for the prevention of the opening of the envelope without mutilating the same.

The manner of using the envelope is as follows: The side flaps 4 are folded in on the envelope proper and secured together, after which the bottom flap is folded upon such flaps at and secured thereto by any suitable means. The extensions 5 are then folded back each upon its respective flap and the flap 2 and gummed thereto, the wings 8 being turned back and gummed back to flap 2. Theflap 3 is then closed, and the extensions are then folded upon and secured to the flap 3, the adjacent serrated edges thereof registering one with the other and being over the tongue 9 upon the top of the sealing-flap 3, as shown in Fig. 2, after which the end of the tongue, which is gummed, may be turned back over the said serrations, covering them, as shown in Fig. 3, and if it is desired to stamp a post-mark or sealing-mark on the envelope it should be done over the serrated ends of the extensions 6 and over the tongue 9.

By the construction of an envelope as above described it will be seen that it would be absolutely impossible to open the same without the mutilation of some of the parts thereof, means being provided for the ready discovery of any tampering with the contents of such envelope.

In dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form of my invention, in which the tongue 9 has its central portion 10 removed, and in which the serrated edges of the extensions 6 do not meet, but have a space between them, thus uncov= 7 will be exposed and in contact with a stamp or seal that may be placed over the said tongue and serrations, and thus aifording an additional security and increasing the diificulty of opening the envelope without destroying the seal; and in this connection, it may be stated, the serrated edges of the extensions 6 are much better adapted to cause the stamp or seal to tear than are the straight edges now in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and that for which I desire to secure Letters Patent, is

1. An envelope provided with ordinary bottom, side, and sealing flaps, and extensions formed with the side flaps, one of such extensions being arranged to fold back upon its flap and the remaining extension to fold upon the sealing-flap, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An envelope provided with bottom, side, and sealing flaps, and the extension formed with such side flaps, one of which is arranged to fold upon its flap and the other upon the sealing-flap, and wings stamped out of the first-named extensions and secured to the bottom flap of the envelope, as set forth.

An envelope provided with bottom and side flaps, extensions formed upon such side flaps, and a sealingflap provided with a tongue arranged to pass below the adjacent edges of each of such extensions and to fold back thereon, the folded portion of the said tongue being perforated to uncover the said edges of such extensions, as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM E. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

SAML. R. TURNER, L. SroERZER. 

